Graphing jelly beans

We graphed jelly beans today. We had to find out what color had the most, least, and if any colors were equal. It was a very yummy way to practice graphing!

Newsletter-Our Week in Review

Dear Families,

We hope you all had a great week!  It was nice talking to many of you during your child’s spring conference.

In Reading, the children have been working on the letter “Kk” Children have been practicing writing the letter Kk as well as identifying the sound that it makes.  Students have been working on blending k words like “kit, kid, kiss,” etc. All of the Kindergarten Star Words have been introduced!   Be on the lookout for these words in the small books and work your child brings home.  We continue to review all words and assess through the year! Please continue to work on these words with your child.  We would all like your child to know all 54 star words by the end of the year.  If you are not sure of the list of star words, ask your child’s teacher or visit Thorson’s Kindergarten website.

It reading this week, we listened to the story The Oak Tree.  The children worked on recognizing text structure of this story and practiced the skill of identifying the sequence of events.   The students quickly realized that the story was the life cycle of an oak tree.   Ask your kindergartener about what they learned about oak trees. 

We continue to write every day in our journals.  The students may decide their topic or we will talk about a particular idea.  We are always working on punctuation, capital letters, spelling, word choice and letter formation. 

In math we have been very busy on counting on from various numbers, writing story problems, and skip counting.  Please continue to work on correct number formation with your kindergartner.

Thank you for all of your support!

The Kindergarten Teachers

Book Orders Are Due on Monday, March 23rd

Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub
One-Time Class Activation Code: HFYK6

Dear Families,

Good news! This month's Scholastic Reading Club flyers are ready for you to explore with your child. Children read more when they choose their own books, so I encourage you to look at the flyers together. Each flyer is filled with grade-specific, affordable titles and Storia® eBooks.

Place your order online at scholastic.com/readingclub or return the order form and payment to me. Ordering online is the easiest way to ensure I get your order on time. Also, there are more books to choose from as well as teacher recommendations.

Remember, for every book you order, our class earns FREE Books and supplies...and we have our eye on some new additions.

Thank you for your support!

Book orders are due MONDAY, March 23rd!

Take care,

Mrs. Rocky


PS: Books make wonderful gifts! Please let me know if your order includes a gift, and I will contact you when it arrives.


Ordering online is fast and easy:

•  VISIT scholastic.com/readingclub
•  ENTER the one-time Class Activation Code (top of this letter)
•  SHOP from a carefully curated selection of the best books, value packs, and Storia eBooks
•  SUBMIT your order and earn FREE Books for our classroom
•  All book orders will be shipped to our classroom so we can celebrate the joy of reading together!

Newsletter-Our Week In Review

Dear Families,

During Reading this week we focused on the skill of distinguishing fantasy/reality.  We did this by reading the trade book The Bear Snores On.   It is a very cute story where many animals come and visit bear to get out of the harsh winter weather.  These animals end up having a party, while bear snored on.  Ask your kindergartner what their favorite part was.

We continued to work on reviewing the letters and sounds of l, b, and e.  Please continue to work on these with your child.  We also worked on blending the letters –in and –ip to make various rhyming words.  Many children noticed that by changing one letters makes an entirely new word!  We also introduced our final star word for the year, up.  Please be sure that your child is continuing to work on their star words and their star word lists.  We will continue to test your child throughout the school year.  As a reminder, a goal for your child should be able to read all 54 star words by the end of kindergarten.

In math this week, students have been busy creating graphs looking at number grids, and identifying the penny and nickel.  Help your kindergartner with counting pennies by pulling out a few pennies from your change jar and ask for a certain number of cents.  Also ask your child if they could trade in that amount for a nickel.  Another good thing to work on is have your child sort out all the pennies and the nickels in your change jar.  We also encourage you to continue to work on one to one counting and correct number formation with your child.

During science this week, we are continuing to look at animals.  We are investigating what makes animals the same and what makes animals different.  This week we focused on the different body parts that animals have.  We noticed that some animals have wings, fins, claws, and fur.  Look around your neighborhood and check out the different animals and see if you can identify the body parts that animals have.

Thank you for all of your continued support!  We look forward to meeting with you next week during your scheduled conference time.

The Kindergarten Teachers

Mrs. Rocky's Pizza Place

We are learning about half in math class. To practice the concept of half, all if the students were hired to be pizza makers. All of the pizzas were half of one topping and half of another topping. 

Conferences

Dear Families,

Mrs. Rowland gave me the list of when I will be having conferences with all of you.  I have noticed that some families (who wanted a conference) did not sign up.  Please be sure to take the time and sign up for a spot.

I also noticed that I have openings at
4:30-4:45
5:00-5:15
6:30-6:45

If you would like to change your conference time to one of these times, please let me know!  If you are also interested in having a before/after school conference or during our specials time, please contact me as well.

Thank you so much!

Take care,
Mrs. Rocky

Recess!

Enjoying the warm weather at recess!

Newsletter-Our Week In Review

March 12, 2015

Dear Parents,

In guided reading, students have been studying the letters “Bb” and “Ll”.  They are learning the sounds and writing the letters Bb and Ll.  They are also reviewing words that start with those letters.  In addition, students have been blending letters to form words:  bet, Bob, bit, bib, let, lid, lot, and led.  This week we have reviewed Star Words, “and” and “what”.  We have also introduced three new Star Words: stop & that.

Students are learning about the seasons in reading.  Seasons are a certain time of year.  Each season has a different kind of weather.  Review the four seasons with your child.  Ask, “What is your favorite season?”  Students are learning to visualize or picture where and when a story takes place in their minds as they listen to stories.  This helps them understand the story better.  We read the story, In the Yard, where a family works and plays in their yard.  Ask your kindergartner, “What did the family do in their yard?”  Students continue to make predictions, retell, and sequence important events in a story.

*To help build fluency, try echo-reading with your child.  You read a sentence, then your child reads the same sentence after you.  It’s a great way to practice reading!

In math, students continue to create and extend patterns by learning to use symbols to represent their patterns.  Students are also learning the concept of “half”.  By using concrete objects, they are understanding that halves of a whole must have equal parts.  Review with your child, by dividing things in half - crackers, cookies, pizza, etc.  Discuss that two halves equal one whole.  Finally, students have enjoyed various mapping activities to reinforce measurement, distance, and spatial relationships.

REMINDER!
Please sign up for Parent Teacher conferences on Volunteer Spot
Tomorrow is a half day of school for students.  Be sure that your child has a going home plan.

Thank you for your continued support!

The Kindergarten Teachers  

New Math Centers

Kindergarten Yahtzee- practices our math facts

Brown Bear I Spy- graphing

Bowling-subtraction facts

Shape pictures- shape ID

Adding game- practices math facts and fine motor skills

Number grid game- number ID

Kindergarten Registration

Do you know a family who will have a child entering kindergarten?

Please let them know about:
KINDERGARTEN 2015 REGISTRATION

Cedarburg School District invites all families with children of kindergarten age to enroll their child(ren) in classes for the 2015-2016 school year on Monday, March 16th from 9:00 to 4:00 pm at your neighborhood school. Children who will be five years of age on or before September 1, 2015 are eligible.

Snack Chat Question

What is your favorite snack to have at snack time?

Morgan: Cheese Its

Bailey: Nutella to Go

Elizabeth: crackers

Leia: Nutella to Go

Alexander: cucumbers

Addisyn: sweet peppers

Sam: yogurt

Will: Z Bars

Mackenzie: Pirate Booty

Jack: peppers

Hadleigh: grapes

Addy: apples

Maddi: Cheese Its

Henry: blueberries

Max: Pirate's Booty

Kylee: graham crackers

Claire: gummies

Erin: applesauce

Luke: Pirates Booty

Mrs. Rocky: Nutella and graham crackers

Conferences

Dear Families,

As I already have mentioned, there are a lot of you that would like a conference with me on the evening of Tuesday, March 24th.  There are not enough time slots for all of you to have a meeting with me that evening.  Please consider scheduling your child's conference with me prior to that evening.  These are the times that I have available.

Before school- please check with me first.  There are days that I have meetings in the morning.

During school:
Mondays: 3:00pm-3:25pm
Tuesdays- 2:45pm- 3:25pm
Thursdays-1:30pm- 2:15pm
Fridays- 2:45pm-3:25pm

After school- I would be available until 4:15pm

Thank you so much for being flexible with your conference times.  I look forward to meeting with you.

Take care,
Mrs. Rocky

Top It!

Please listen to our friend explaining the game.  

Authors!

Sharing our writing with our partners. 

Winter Carnival is tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the Winter Carnival!  There are lots of fun things to do and see there.  One area that you may be interested in is the Silent Auction, specifically the Class Project area.  You are able to bid on a one of a kind creation made by all the students in your child's class!  

A special shout out to Mrs. Fisk for working with the students on an awesome pizza plate.  Here is the photo that she sent to me.  All of the students' thumb prints are on there as the sausage.   

Students are also able to purchase raffle tickets to win a lunch with me.  Students will be able to choose what they would like for lunch and I will bring it in for them.  Look for the Mrs. Rocky box near the book room for a chance to win!

Newsletter- Our Week In Review

March 5, 2015

Dear Families,

In Guided Reading, the children have been working on the letter “Ee” Children have been practicing writing the letter Ee as well as identifying the sound that it makes.  Students have been working on blending short e words like “pet, red, net,” etc. In Guided Reading, students have been reviewing the star words, “this” and “do”.  Be on the look out for these words in the small books and work your child brings home.  We continue to review all words and assess through the year! Please continue to work on these words with your child.  We would all like your child to know all 54 star words by the end of the year.  If you are not sure of the list of star words, ask your child’s teacher or visit Thorson’s Kindergarten website.

Another skill your child worked on during the Guided Reading block was identifying the main idea and details.  By doing this, your child is practicing the reading strategy of visualizing.  To practice this skill your child listened to the big book A Rainy Day   Ask your kindergartener what happens on a rainy day. 

In math this week, students have been busy identifying solid shapes.  These solid shapes are the cube, sphere, cylinder, and cone.  Students were able to find these shapes in everyday objects such as a dice, a basketball, a can or soup, and even an ice cream cone.  Walk around your house and see what solid shapes your kindergartner can identify! As always, we encourage you to practice number identification and correct number formation with your kindergartner!

***REMINDER!  This weekend is the Thorson Carnival!  Come between 11am-3pm for Fun and Games all to support Thorson!  There are some special auction items to bid on, raffles, and even a chance to win lunch with a teacher of your choice!  Come and join the fun! 

Thank you for all of your support!

The Kindergarten Teachers

No babies here!

Dear Families,

We are having a problem in kindergarten!  There are a LOT of friends that think it is okay to talk like a baby during class time.  Many friends think it is silly or cute to talk this way.  However, it is causing problems and I am unable to understand what your child is trying to tell me.  In Kindergarten we use our Kindergarten voices so all the things we share can be understood.

Please talk with your child about using the appropriate voice during school.

Thank you so much!

Take care,
Mrs. Rocky

Book Nook

Are you cleaning out your house?  Do you have old books that you are ready to get rid of?  Consider donating them to the Book Nook!  Your old books will be sold at the Winter Carnival and all of the money earned will help out your child's school.

Thanks so much for considering!

Winter Carnival Volunteers

The winter carnival is quickly approaching!  The PTO needs your help!  If you are able to volunteer your time, please visit the PTO's Volunteer Spot to sign up.

 http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/317352576076. 

3D play dough creations

In math today we created sculptures using play dough. We had to create the sculptures with 3D shapes. Can your kindergartner tell you some 3D shapes?